Workers carry an adult alligator from a feeding pool. [Wu Fang/China Daily] On November 27, about 10,000 Chinese alligators were moved from outdoor feeding pools to their winter home at the National Chinese Alligator Natural Reserve in Xuancheng, a city in the eastern province of Anhui. The reptiles, a Class I protected species that is endemic to East China, are coldblooded, so their metabolism and activity slow during winter, making them easier to handle. The animals, which are also known as Yangtze alligators, will eventually hibernate until spring, when they will be taken back to the outdoor pools. The reserve, which has been based in the suburbs of Xuancheng since the 1980s, is home to more than 15,000 Chinese alligators, including newly hatched reptiles. It is the world's largest breeding center for the species. There are many human-bred Chinese alligators, but in the wild they are on the verge of extinction. There are barely 300 individuals, including some that were born in captivity, but later released into natural surroundings, said Wang Renping, head of the center's information department. Though the center has made a great contribution to preserving the species from extinction, challenges remain, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified Chinese alligators as critically endangered. International attention In November, four alligators bred at the center in Xuancheng were taken to Shizuoka, a city on Japan's Pacific coast. They were the first to be sent overseas since 2006, when the practice was suspended because the center was in the process of changing its name and was therefore unable to obtain export certificates. To the best of our knowledge, the first Chinese alligators to be exported were sent to the United States in the 1950s, Wang said, adding that the reptiles were sent by the former Soviet Union because China and the US had not yet established diplomatic relations. Sun Siqing, director of the industrialization office at the breeding research center, which is based in the national reserve, said: Many zoos around the world are waiting for alligators bred at the center. Though the export of wild Chinese alligators is absolutely prohibited, exports of human-bred ones have been allowed since the 1980s. Sun's department is responsible for large-scale breeding programs, the administration of tourism at the center, and exports, which are considered vital to helping the outside world learn more about the species. In 1973, the International Union for Conservation of Nature added Chinese alligators to its Red List of Threatened Species. The animal's status as critically endangered means it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As the most comprehensive inventory of conservation status, the list provides scientific information about species and subspecies at a global level. It is also aimed at drawing attention to the magnitude and importance of threatened biodiversity, influencing national and international policies and decision-making, and providing information to guide actions to conserve biological diversity, according to the organization's website. charity silicone wristbandssilicon or siliconesilicone fidget spinner24 hour wristbands coupon
YANGON, Myanmar - Bodies and aircraft debris were found in the sea off the southern coast of Myanmar on Thursday by ships searching for a military plane that went missing with 122 soldiers, family members and crew on board. Twenty-nine bodies of adults and children were found about 35 kilometers off the southern coastal town of Launglon by navy and civilian ships, said a military officer involved in the recovery operation. The search by nine navy ships, five military planes and two helicopters, would continue with help from civilian boats, the military said. China expressed deep sympathy and condolences to the tragedy, and is willing to provide necessary assistance if required, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday. "China is willing to provide necessary assistance, according to the requirements of the Myanmar government," she said. The Y-8F-200W transport plane, vanished on Wednesday after taking off from the coastal town of Myeik on a weekly flight to the country's largest city, Yangon. The multipurpose aircraft lost contact 29 minutes after takeoff while flying at 5,500 meters over the Andaman Sea, about 70 km west of the town of Dawei, the Myanmar military said. The maker of the transport plane, China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation, said in a statement that it will fully assist Myanmar in the investigation. Searchers also found an aircraft wheel and two life jackets on Thursday. Some bags with clothes - believed to be from the missing plane - were found earlier. Some patches of oil were spotted 30 km from Dawei, the military said. More than 40 ambulances and scores of medics and emergency staff were heading to the fishing town of Sanlan where boats carrying bodies were set to arrive around midday, said Hla Thein, a member of a hospital emergency team. The plane was carrying 108 soldiers and their family members as well as a crew of 14. The military said the 108 passengers included 15 children, 58 adults and 35 soldiers. It is the rainy season in Myanmar but a civil aviation official said the weather had been "normal" with good visibility when the plane took off. The aircraft was bought in March last year and had a total of 809 flying hours. It was carrying 2.4 tons of supplies, the military said. Aircraft accidents are not uncommon in Myanmar. A military helicopter crashed last June in central Myanmar, killing three military personnel on board. Five military personnel were killed in February last year when an air force aircraft crashed in the capital, Naypyitaw, media reported. China Daily - Reuters - Xinhua - Ap
